


Braiding Our Fate

by drunkraiinbow



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Archery, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hairdresser Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, M/M, Past Drug Addiction, Protective Jason Todd, Single Parent Roy Harper, Single Parents, Social Media, YouTube, YouTuber Jason Todd, YouTuber Roy Harper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-01-24 11:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21337570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drunkraiinbow/pseuds/drunkraiinbow
Summary: Being a single parent is hard and Roy is doing his best to take care of his beautiful little girl. He can't do everything however, and there are just some things where he has to admit he needs help – like braiding Lian's hair.In comes Jason Todd, a smart, sexy hairdresser who might be just what Roy needs.
Relationships: Lian Harper & Jason Todd, Lian Harper & Roy Harper, Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Comments: 3
Kudos: 65
Collections: JayRoy Week 2019





	Braiding Our Fate

**Author's Note:**

> For JayRoy Week 2019 - Day 5: Single Parents!  
(This is an ongoing fic and will be continued and finished, just couldn't manage to finish more chapters in the short time I had left for this day.)
> 
> Beta-read by GavotteAndGigue.

_ »I'm tired of being scared what I build might break apart. I don't want to know the end, all I want is a place to start.« _

* * *

With his right hand on the handle of his favourite, bright orange pan, Roy stood in front of the stove and flipped another pancake in the air, catching it expertly as it twirled in the air to land in the pan again. He hummed along to a song on the small radio that sat on the board of his kitchenette, right next to the stove. His left arm was supporting the small body leaning against his chest. The girl had slung her arms around his neck, legs wrapping around his waist and burying her face in the crook of his neck. 

She was still half asleep, but had been holding onto him tightly since the moment Roy had picked her up from underneath the curtains they had put up to shield her bed from nightmares. 

The batter had already been prepared and was just waiting to get baked. Lian loved to help him with cooking, so Roy always made sure to let her join whenever possible. By now, he was experienced in cooking with just one hand. 

"Wanna flip the next pancake?" Roy asked with a smile and bounced the girl softly on his arm to wake her a bit more. "We're almost done, little girl."

Lian was four years old now and she had grown a lot since her birth, but she would always be his baby girl. He had needed to adapt his life quite a lot to take care of his daughter. And yet he had never regretted it just once. 

"Can uncle Dick pick me up from preschoolagain?" Lian murmured as she took the spatula he gave her. "He taught me how to make a flip!" 

With both hands, Roy held her steady while she leaned down and took the finished pancake out of the pan, placing it on the stack he had made. New batter was added and she spilled only a few drops, before the fluffy mixture spread in the pan. She was great at cooking. 

"We've an appointment with the new hairdresser he's chosen for you, remember? But he can come by for dinner," Roy told her and kissed her forehead, holding her tight in his arms as the pancake baked. 

Lian beamed at him. "Can I get my hair braided?" 

"Yeah, we'll ask him. Gotta make sure my girl looks fantastic for the video," he assured her and she giggled, leaning her head against his bare chest.

"And we still makin' the watermelon treats?" 

"We are," Roy winked. "And uncle Dick needs to taste every single one. He's been looking forward to it since we told him two weeks ago." 

Lian nodded happily and focused on the pan again to turn the pancake around. It had a wonderful golden colour and looked fluffy and delicious. There was only enough batter left for another pancake before they had to hurry and get ready for school. 

He pulled his phone out and switched the camera to take a quick selfie of their morning routine. Lian buried her face in the crook of his neck again, clinging onto his neck as he smirked at the screen. The green tattoos on his biceps were almost swallowed by the girl on his arm and his red hair was messy but bound into a man bun in an attempt to wrangle it into control. 

His followers had demanded to see more of their small family. He was hesitant to post too many pictures about their daily life, despite making those silly videos for YouTube. Roy had never intended to become popular on said platform, but he had wanted to share the tips and tricks that had made his life as a working single parent so much easier. Lian loved choosing half of their video topics, so it brought a lot of fun for both of them too. 

Within a few seconds, he had added the picture to his Instagram and Twitter accounts before his attention was back on the pancake, just in time to save the tasty buddy from burning. Roy flipped it again, let it slide out of the pan and onto the stack of fresh pancakes and turned off the stove. Then, the pan disappeared into the sink, cooling down under a stream of cold water while Roy woke up his girl again and put her down. 

Lian rubbed her eyes and covered her mouth as she yawned, just as Roy had taught her. He smiled down at the big doe eyes, resisting the urgent need to squish her cheeks between his big hands. She hated it, which made Roy want to do it even more. 

"We finished?" Lian murmured and tilted her head to the side. "Can we eat?" 

"What do we need to do first, baby?" Roy reminded her softly and put his hands on her small shoulders to turn the girl towards the cooking island that functioned as their dinner table. The last one broke under the weight of Uncle Dick's failed YouTube stunt. 

Lian squinted at the empty island and pressed her lips together, obviously thinking hard. 

"We… we haffta set the table?" she suggested after a moment and turned to Roy, looking at him over his shoulder. 

Roy nodded. "Tell me what we need, doll? I'll give it to you."

"We need plates first!" Lian chirped and seemed to shake off her sleepiness. "Can I get the plates, daddy? Please?" 

She was too small to reach the cupboard and Roy didn't mind helping her with the dishes. That way, he could make sure nothing broke. Lian might be four years old by now, but he still wanted to protect her from anything bad that could happen. 

Luckily, Lian didn't complain either. She took the plates Roy gave her and placed them next to each other in front of the high chairs they used to sit on the kitchen island. Roy took care of cutlery – the smaller fork and knife set with Hello Kitty prints over the plastic handle for Lian and the regular set for himself. 

Roy helped Lian onto the chair and filled her plate with a small stack of three pancakes. She poured the maple syrup over them herself but let Roy decorate her food with cut strawberries and delicious blueberries. Roy didn't have to remind her that she was supposed to wait for him, but when his plate was finally prepared, she practically devoured the pancakes in one big gulp. He just shook his head while he stuffed his mouth full. Genetics. 

They managed to eat every single pancake and clean their plates without choking on the delicious food. Roy had to take Lian's plate from her when she started licking the maple syrup off it, but she just laughed at the silly face he pulled. She was a good girl was what she always told him. She knew how to behave in public. (Roy could only hope she was better than himself.)

With Lian still sitting in her chair, Roy managed to put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and start the machine without any further shenanigans from his daughter. He made her drink water to make sure she stayed hydrated and gave her sips of his daily smoothie afterward. 

Then, it was time to get ready for school.

"Alright, little bean," Roy said, leaning at the counter, "how are we feeling today?"

"Orange!" Lian shouted excitedly and managed to slide down the stool, already buzzing in anticipation. 

Roy chuckled and clapped his hands, shushing the girl towards her room. "Then let's find something to wear, right? Are we gonna wear trousers or a dress?" 

"Hm," Lian made and frowned for a moment, "a dress? 's what I wan' today!"

In the end, it was Lian who pulled him through the small apartment into her room. Roy still grinned when he thought back to the time they had decorated the room with orange paint and unicorns and dragons and a cool bunk bed and of course a real target for Lian's small bow and arrows. The styrofoam behind the target was soft enough to let the arrows stick perfectly after they shot through the paper. They weren't sharp, and she wasn't allowed to shoot arrows at any living person or animal, but the tip was round and could still hurt badly.

Complying with his daughter's wish, Roy searched through her wardrobe and took out a pair of black leotards and fresh underwear out. The orange dress was also fairly easily found. He just pulled it from the dress hanger before he put everything down on the empty bottom bunk bed. 

Lian needed help with the leotards, but managed to change into the dress herself. Roy only needed to close the zipper and tie a bow on her back. Showing off her dress, Lian spun around and made the skirt billow beautifully, and Roy smiled at the girl softly. With the big, blue eyes and black hair and the gorgeous smile, she looked like her mother. A woman she could barely remember, and maybe that was for the better.

Without another invitation, Lian went to the bathroom and took her pajamas from the previous night with her. They ended up in the laundry basket before she brushed her teeth next to Roy. He didn't have to pay attention to that anymore. She was a real pro. 

Roy wished he could simply skip the next part, but he couldn't. It was the one thing he felt completely helpless with and could never completely learn, despite Lian's dozen attempts with different YouTube tutorials and showing it to him herself on one of her fierce barbies – hair braiding. 

"You don't need to braid 'em," Lian told him with a smile when he took her hairbrush and started combing her hair.

"A ponytail today then?" Roy suggested and pressed his lips together. "I swear to God, one day. I'll learn it." 

"Ponytail is good!" 

But Roy still knew, braiding would be better. 

Nevertheless, he took Lian's hair tie and made a nice ponytail, careful not to forget any strand of her hair. He put her favourite flower crown on her head and looked down at his beautiful princess, a proud smile on his lips.

She was the most precious thing in his world. And he wouldn't give her away for any miracle of the world, because she was already the greatest. 

Now that Lian was ready, Roy only had to get dressed himself. He let Lian pull on her shoes while he hurried to his bedroom and pulled his wardrobe open. Many of his clothes were in the laundry, but he still managed to pick some of his favourite pieces. He quickly changed into a pair of ripped jeans and an archery shirt (yes, it was a Hawkeye shirt), put a cap on his head, then stuffed his feet into his worn boots before he looked at Lian for approval. 

She nodded and took his hand, pulling him out of the door. They were ready to go. 

* * *

Dick came by around noon in nothing but tight leggings and something that almost seemed like a crop top showing off his amazing abs. Roy could see his student, a young woman, flinch and miss the mark when she shot the arrow way too far left to hit at all. It bounced off the wall and fell to the ground, while she groaned in embarrassment. 

"Hi there, archery friend! I brought lunch and coffee and I'm pretty sure you already have lunch break like, right now." 

"And you brought your camera with you," Roy sighed and stared at the damned thing that seemed glued to Dick's hands sometimes. "Vlogging again?"

"Always." 

He shot Roy a smile and turned the camera in his hands to catch his friend standing next to a distressed girl, practically hiding behind her bow. Dick waved at her. 

"Don't worry, I'll blurr you out in the edit. I'm just trying to catch Roy sensei. Can you flex for a second, Roy?" 

"Don't give him attention," Roy said with a sigh and smiled at the woman, waiting until he got a shy nod. "Wanna end it with a last shot? Focus on your breathing and your mind. You can do this. We've been practicing a lot." 

Just as he had predicted, the shot hit the bullseye when she let go of the string as she breathed out, sending the arrow on its way to the mark. Roy grinned in satisfaction and offered her a high five that she accepted with a smirk. 

After a few more words, he sent her off and joined Dick on one of the benches of the sports hall they were training in. Three years ago, he had been given the opportunity to teach archery for a real club, and of course Roy had gladly turned his hobby into a job. 

He had gotten to know Dick around the same time. The man was teaching gymnastics with the same club. They often shared the gym, separated by thin partitions that could be taken down if needed. Roy liked to shield his archery stand from curious looks, though that didn't stop Dick from invading his area at almost every lunch break. 

"I guess you have to film us eating again," Roy said with a soft groan and sat down next to Dick. The camera was pointed at his face when he took an offered sandwich but he ignored it. He knew Dick would edit out what didn't belong in the public. 

"I can pick Lian up from preschool tomorrow. You have late classes, right?" Dick smiled behind his camera and filmed Roy devouring his sandwich as if it was nothing. 

Roy nodded and swallowed the food. "Thanks, man. She's been talking about it for days now. I should be home around eight. I'll let her school know you'll pick her up." 

"Don't worry. We'll manage that. Especially with your awesome food prep," Dick told him and took a bite from his own sandwich.

Roy took a second sandwich, enjoying the tasty chicken breast on it, while he stretched his legs and leaned against the concrete at his back. 

For a while, they just sat next to each other and exchanged small details about their week and the plans they had for the upcoming weekend. Dick told him about his gymnastics class and the promising talent he was training while Roy went on a small rant about different types of arrows and how the material was almost as important to the speed as the skills of the archer were. 

After a few more words about their next collaboration, a gaming review on Lego Dimensions that was almost edited and ready for the upload, Dick was ready to leave for his afternoon class. 

"Wanna say hi to my squad before I disappear?" Dick winked when he filmed them both again, camera over their heads. 

Roy shrugged but smirked. "You guys should watch tonight's video. Lian and I are going to make watermelon summer treats and feed them to Dick." 

"You guys are killing my abs," Dick pouted, "but I can't wait to taste them!" 

* * *

"You must be Lian Harper, am I right? Nice to meet you, sweetie. Wanna hop on the chair while I talk to you Pa for a second? Timmy will show you the way and serve you a Capri Sun, alright? – Timbers! Take Lian to my station!"

Roy was still gaping at the breathtaking man in front of him when a boy came running at his daughter to take her away. The man lingered and smiled for a second, before he tilted his head and raised his brows at Roy. 

"Nice to meet you, too. You must be Mr. Harper then," he said and snickered. "I'm Jason Todd, owner of this fine salon. I must say, Dick talks a lot about you during his appointments."

"Uh," Roy bit down on his lip and tried to start acting reasonable again. "Likewise. Though I'm Sorry about Dick. He's... something else." 

He got a short laugh from the man and gulped at the beauty of his smile when his lips curled up, reaching those inhumanly green eyes which seemed to hold a forest within them. 

"It's Roy, by the way," he added a bit late and could almost feel himself blush. "Mr. Harper makes me feel way older than I am." 

_ Stop acting like a lovesick schoolgirl, Harper. _

"Jason for you then." 

The man was a real feast for the eyes. He was tall, well built and broad in a way that only complimented his gorgeous face even more, without making him seem too bulky or intimidating. He was goddamn hot, and Roy would've loved to drool over his impressive biceps, if he wasn't about to leave his daughter to the man's mercy.

Roy's favourite part of Jason was the white streak in his raven black hair though. That, and the knowing smirk he just gave Roy as he crossed his arms in front of his plain black shirt. 

"So, what can I do for Lian?" Jason asked, back to being professional. 

Roy laughed sheepishly. "A bit of trimming I think. I don't really know anything about hairstyles, but Dick said you were a genius and could help us. And ah–" 

Hesitating for a second, Roy rubbed his neck. It was hard to admit that he couldn't give Lian everything she needed, and a part of him didn't want to accept that if she still had a mother, things would most likely be different. 

Sure, he was trying his best to be both father and mother. He went to horse riding classes with her and taught her to shoot arrows, they watched My Little Pony together and talked about her friends while painting Lian's finger nails (and Roy's toe nails) and putting funny face masks on their skin, and he showed her how to use a screwdriver properly. But there were certain things he simply couldn't do. And he hated that more than anything else. 

Jason raised his brows. 

"And?" 

"He said you're a genius with braiding," Roy admitted and blew out his cheeks. "And I suck at it so, here we are. Lian loves braiding styles and I know she doesn't mind that I just can't do it, but I also know she's sad with all her friends having braided hair." 

"Oh," Jason blinked before he nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure we can make something nice. It might even stay for a few days, let me think about it while working." 

With a sigh of relief, Roy began to smile brightly. The man was a genius if he could really manage that. Probably with a lot of hairspray, but Roy was willing to wash that out after Lian had a chance to show her new hairstyle to her friends. 

He followed Jason to his little squirt sitting in the big chair on a big pillow that made her sit higher for Jason, and he watched Jason like a hawk when the man put the black cutting cape over her body and closed it around her neck to prevent the hair from falling on her clothes. 

Jason exchanged a few ideas with Lian while he combed her hair and pulled it to different sides or lifted it, before they had decided on a good length. At the moment, it fell easily over her shoulders. Chest-length maybe, but they wanted to shorten it in the front and grow her straight pony out, and Roy didn't know how to feel about that. 

Was his little girl really getting too old for her hairstyle already? Time was flying by too fast. 

He frowned and tried to join the conversation, but suddenly, he was sitting on a chair in the back of the salon, watching Jason cutting the hair of his precious daughter, banned from the front. He was too overprotective, Jason had said. Too tense and serious. Roy was blocking his creativity. 

Roy huffed and rolled his eyes. Since when did someone need creativity to cut a girl's hair? Jason was young, he didn't understand what it meant to be the only parent of a kid, he was almost constantly worried whenever he didn't have Lian with him. Dick was… okay. He could trust Dick, he knew that, but he still called every other hour to check on them. That didn't make him overprotective, though. He was a good parent! 

He kept watching Jason and Lian in the front, and couldn't help but notice that Jason was not only smoking hot, but awesome with kids. Or at least with Lian. They had an animated conversation going on and Lian was constantly smiling through the mirror at Jason while he concentrated on cutting her hair with the scissors. 

When Jason caught him staring, he smirked at Roy. And maybe, Roy blushed. A tiny bit. Jason had possibly not even seen it, but why was he talking to Lian with a nod in Roy's direction? 

Roy pressed his lips together and pulled out his phone. He might as well concentrate on work, he decided, because YouTube was a lot of work. (But his 900.000 followers were the reason why Roy only had to work part-time and could pay for a small but nice apartment in the heart of Star City, so he shouldn't complain too much.)

Dick was already sending him messages, talking about a new game he wanted to try and a possible live stream Roy could join. His brother Tim could watch Lian during that time, but Roy wasn't tempted enough to leave Lian in the care of a barely grownup caffeine addict to accept the invitation right away.

Roy chatted a while with Dick, but even then he couldn't stop glancing up from time to time to observe Jason – and Jason every so often caught his gaze and smirked and it was the most beautiful smirk Roy had ever seen. 

He was glad he had already had his gay awakening or else the boy would be the cause of a major gay panic. Jason would still be the death of him if he didn't stop. 

Roy's gaze was even more glued to his phone for the rest of the time, resisting the urge to look up. It was almost painful, but Roy managed to keep his eyes away from Jason. 

Luckily, he didn't have to wait much longer. He heard Lian giggling, Jason clapping his hands again, and then –

"Daddy! Jason's braided my hair!" 

And Lian was right. Roy was speechless at the sight of Jason's masterpiece, a delicate braiding of two rows going up at the back of her head to end in perfect buns. It was so damn fantastic and Lian smiled brighter than the sun when she turned around and ran into Roy's arms. 

Roy could have kiss Jason right now.

"Looks awesome, princess! You've done great," Roy whispered and kissed her cheek. "Have you thanked Jason?" 

"Thank you, Jason!" Lian hurried with a grin. 

Jason laughed softly and called her back to his chair for a second to apply hairspray onto the braids. 

"You're welcome, young lady," he said and turned to Roy for a moment, smiling at him and making his heart flutter. "That should keep it safe till tomorrow. You might fix the buns in the morning, but the braids should be okay."

"I have to tell you, I'm excellent with buns," Roy said and winked, ignoring Lian's eye rolling like a good father would do. "Thank you. Really. For your time and the hairstyle. It's amazing."

They shook hands and Jason stared at Roy for a second, making him squirm under his gaze. Suddenly, his beloved cap had disappeared from his head and had ended up in Jason's hands. Roy could only gasp, feeling naked now, before Jason chuckled. 

"You're sure you don't want to sit in my chair for a few minutes?" Jason smirked. "Your hair is gorgeous, but your ends are horribly split. When was the last time you actually took care of your hair? Never heard or a hair mask?"

"A hair mask?" Roy repeated dumbfounded. "What's that?"

Jason snorted. "I'm pretty sure you're at least using skincare. It's the same with your hair. You need to treat it right or it will break."

"Oh! Please, daddy!" Lian cheered next to him and pulled on his arm. "That would be so awesome! Maybe Jason can braid your hair, too!"

"I'm not sure if Jason has time for us today, little bean. Maybe another time?" Roy smiled down at her and stroked over her cheek, making her pout. 

"But it's for the video!" 

Jason laughed softly. "She's right. Gotta look good for the video. And I'm free for today, just so you know." 

Roy died a little inside when Jason  _ winked _ . He didn't need to look down at Lian to feel her grin. She knew he was drooling over Jason. Damnit.

"Will you show him the way, Lian? I think your dad is in an urgent need for a makeover," Jason decided and clapped in his hands. 

Roy choked on a laugh when Lian grabbed his hand firmly and pulled him towards the chair. Using his own kid against him. What a clever boy.

* * *

"Who's done your hair, darling? That looks amazing!" Dick asked from behind the camera, eyes on the display to check the view, before he grinned at Roy behind the stove.

Tonight, for the purpose of filming, Roy had taken the cover off the cooking island to use the stove hidden under the kitchen counter. It was easier to film, easier to talk their viewers through the steps and Dick could fit on the other side without tasting every other second. 

"Jason did it!" Lian cheered as she hung from Roy's neck and stirred the melting marshmallows in the pot. 

"Aw, that's sweet. Wanna tell me more about this Jason?" Dick wiggled his brows. Roy could feel it. Something stupid was about to happen. His dad-senses started tingling.

"Daddy has the hots for him!" 

Dick choked and started laughing. The camera shook slightly, despite the steadicam they used to avoid that. 

"Where did you learn that phrase, baby?"

"The cameraman has no voice, Dickie," Roy interrupted. 

Dick only pouted. "I thought you guys were cooking for me!" 

"We're on a budget. You get to be our food tester later. And remember, you're at my mercy," Roy snorted. "The more you talk, the more you need to edit out later."

"Ah, shush, meanie," Dick said and smiled at Lian. "Tell Uncle Dickie everything, Lian baby." 

"Are we at Ellen now?" Roy groaned but concentrated on the melted marshmallow soup in the pot again. 

A smile appeared on his face as Lian knew well enough to stay quiet and look up at her dad in anticipation. She had always been a clever girl.

"I think it's melted," she said helpfully and raised the whisk to show the liquid white mass to the camera on a tripod directed at the pot. 

Roy nodded and took a small bottle from the counter. Lian helped open it, before she took the bottle and was allowed to put a few drops of red colouring into the mix, whisking it again. The white mass transformed into a pink shade and soon, Roy could add the delicious rice crisps.

Lian was concentrated on pressing the coated and sticky crisps into a form. They had already put in green coloured marshmallow crisps to form the shell of the watermelon and now they simply had to fill the gap in the middle with more mass resembling fruit pulp. 

After that, Lian was allowed to decorate the melon with choco drops for seeds, before Roy put the form in the fridge, cooling the sweet treat. 

"Because it's almost bedtime for Lian and Dick needs his beauty sleep as well," Roy explained while taking out another form from the fridge, "I've already prepared another watermelon this morning." 

He let Lian help with opening the baking form to get the round plate onto the counter, but set her down as he cut it in six pieces with a sharp knife almost perfectly, though some were bigger than others. 

Wooden sticks that Roy had bought for self-made popsicles went into the bottom. Lian oversaw the process and even put one inside herself, though she left the others to Roy after her hands got sticky again. 

Roy finished the last one, collecting them on a plate as he smiled at Lian. 

"Think we're done?" 

"We're done," she confirmed and blinked at him. And then– "Now I gotta tell Uncle Dick about Jason before we film the tasting!" 

Dick cheered behind the camera and stopped the recording. "Finally! I need to know everything, sweetheart." 

Roy sighed and started to clean. 

"Bedtime is in an hour! Make sure we don't cross that again tonight!"

**Author's Note:**

> * Quote at the beginning taken from "Place to Start" by Mike Shinoda.
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](https://drunkraiinbow.tumblr.com/) and talk to me about the boys!


End file.
